Electrically conducting assemblies

Abstract

The present invention also pertains to the multilayer assembly obtainable by said process and to uses of said multilayer assembly in various applications.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A multilayer assembly comprising:
 (1) at least one patterned substrate, said patterned substrate comprising:
 a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1), and 
 optionally, directly adhered onto at least one surface of layer (LMP), preferably onto one surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-1); and 
 
 (2) at least one non-patterned substrate, said non-patterned substrate comprising:
 an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-2) having an outer surface and an inner surface, said layer (LT-2) being equal to or different from layer (LT-1), if any, and 
 directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LT-2), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound (M ot ), 
 said at least one surface of layer (LT-2) being optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas, wherein layer (LMP) of the patterned substrate of the multilayer assembly is directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) of the non-patterned substrate. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , said multilayer assembly comprising:
 an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-1), 
 directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LT-1), a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound [compound (M1)], 
 directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound (M ot ), and 
 directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-2), said layer (LT-2) being equal to or different from layer (LT-1), 
 
       wherein the surface of layer (LT-2) directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) is optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas. 
     
     
       3. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , said multilayer assembly comprising:
 a patterned layer (LMP) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1), 
 directly adhered onto one surface of layer (LMP), an optically transparent non-patterned layer (LMT) made of at least one optically transparent metal compound [compound (M ot )], and 
 directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT), an optically transparent substrate layer (LT-2), 
 wherein the surface of layer (LT-2) directly adhered onto the opposite surface of layer (LMT) is optionally treated by a radio-frequency glow discharge process in the presence of an etching gas. 
 
     
     
       4. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein layer (LMP) is a patterned grid layer (LMP′) made of a core of at least one first metal compound (M1) and, optionally, a shell of at least one second metal compound (M2) at least partially coating said core, said compound (M2) being equal to or different from said compound (M1). 
     
     
       5. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein layer (LMP′) has a mesh size comprised between 100 μm and 800 μm. 
     
     
       6. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein layer (LMP′) has a mesh size comprised between 150 μm and 500 μm. 
     
     
       7. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein layer (LMP′) has a bar width comprised between 5 μm and 70 μm. 
     
     
       8. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein layer (LMP′) has a bar width comprised between 7 μm and 35 μm. 
     
     
       9. An optically transparent electrode comprising the multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein compound (M1) is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ir, Ru, Ti, Re, Os, Cd, Tl, Pb, Bi, In, Sb, Al, Ti, Cu, Ni, Pd, V, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Mo, W, Ag, Au, Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Sn, Ge, Ga, alloys thereof and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
       11. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein compound (M2) is selected from the group consisting of Rh, Ir, Ru, Ti, Re, Os, Cd, Tl, Pb, Bi, In, Sb, Al, Ti, Cu, Ni, Pd, V, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Zn, Mo, W, Ag, Au, Pt, Ir, Ru, Pd, Sn, Ge, Ga, alloys thereof and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
       12. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein compound (M ot ) is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of:
 impurity-doped ZnO, In 2 O 3 , SnO 2  and CdO, 
 ternary metal oxide compounds, and 
 multi-component metal oxides consisting of combinations of ZnO, In 2 O 3  and SnO 2 . 
 
     
     
       13. The multilayer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein compound (M ot ) is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Sn-doped ZnO, Sn-doped In 2 O 3 , Sn-doped CdO, Zn 2 SnO 4 , ZnSnO 3 , Zn 2 In 2 O 5 , Zn 3 In 2 O 6 , In 2 SnO 4 , and CdSnO 3 .